Tropical Storm Helene will continue to gain strength Wednesday as it moves through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS10:05 a.m. update:President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida on Wednesday.The action authorizes FEMA to coordinate disaster relief efforts in the state.Officials said federal funding is also available to provide emergency assistance for Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Escambia, Hamilton, Holmes, Marion, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Sumter, Union, Walton and Washington counties.Tropical Storm Helene is just offshore the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and is close to hurricane strength.Original report:As of Wednesday morning, Helene’s track is still aiming to impact the Big Bend area of Florida.The storm is sitting off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.Photos: Tropical Storm Helene gains strength as hurricane warnings issued in part of FloridaHelene will follow a similar track as Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Idalia.Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane before making landfall Thursday night in Florida.Watch: Parts of Florida still recovering from Hurricane Debby prepare for HeleneOur biggest threat in Central Florida will be from Helene’s rain bands.Those storms had a chance of producing isolated tornados, especially Thursday evening.Watch: See where you can get sandbags in Central FloridaSpotty power outages and localized flooding are possible.As of Wednesday morning, the worst weather will stay west of Central Florida.Channel 9 will continue to monitor Helene and provide updates on Eyewitness News.Follow our Severe Weather team on X for live updates:Chief meteorologist Tom TerryBrian ShieldsKassandra CrimiDavid Heckard

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also declared an emergency in his state. The hurricane warning area included Valdosta, a city of 55,000. Helene approached barely a year after Hurricane Idalia inflicted more than $6 million in damage to 1,000 homes and other property.

Helene strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday, and forecasters warned that the storm would intensify as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida. The hurricane